Flexible strip forming part of headband



y 1966 c. E. BENNER 3,253,281

FLEXIBLE STRIP FORMING PART OF HEADBAND Filed May 20, 1964 INVENTOR CHARLES E. BENNER AT TORNE Y United States Patent 3,253,281 FLEXIBLE STRIP FORMING PART OF HEADBAND Charles E. Benner, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed May 20, 1964, Ser. No. 368,783 2 Claims. (Cl. 23)

This invention relates to headgear apparatus.

More particularly, this invention relates to securing means for a headband construction which securing means renders the headband construction stable, rugged, comfortable to the wearer, and easy to use.

More particularly, this invention relates to a flexible strip attached to a headband construction and encircling said construction, so as to simply and securely hold said construction in the desired manner.

Headband constructions are most often made up of a stiffening band and a sweat band, which are attached together by some method such as sewing. When the headband construction encircles the head of the user, the ends of the headband construction overlap. Such overlapping results in the ends of the sweat band and stiffening band, which make up the headband construction, also overlapping. The end result is that four different layers (the two ends of the stiffening band and the two ends of the sweat band) are adjacent one another at the point of overlapping. It is customary in the design of headband constructions to provide some type of structure for holding the overlapping ends securely in place next to the head of the user. This provision is imperative not only for comfort, since bedraggled overlapping ends would be irritating to the head of the wearer, but for safety, since the overlapping ends of the headband construction must be firmly and securely in place if the headband construction is to provide maximum protection to the head of the user. Furthermore, headband constructions in use today allow for circumferential adjustment by permitting one end of the headband construction to overlap the other in a number of different positions, and the overlapping ends of the stiffening member and sweat band will not allow for easy circumferential adjustment upon becoming twisted and misshapened (if not held securely in place) resulting in a short use of the headband construction.

The patent to Austin et al., No. 3,008,145, discloses a securing member which overlaps a portion of the headband construction in an attempt to hold said construction in place. However, the securing member of Austin et al. is less than permanent since it is fastened to the sweat V band. Furthermore, the fact that the securing member is separate from the headband constructions results in it being uneconomical to produce. Furthermore, and most important, since the securing member just referred to of Austin et al. does not surround the entire headband construction, it does not serve to hold the headband construction together securely and stably in one place for maximum comfort and protection. Other constructions shown by the prior art suffer similar or other defects which mar their usefulness in securely holding the headband construction together.

It is an object of this invention to provide a headband construction which is securely and. stably held in place so as to provide maximum comfort and safety to the head of the wearer.

It is further an object of this invention to provide means for simply, securely and stably holding the sweat band and stiffening band of a headband construction in place.

It is further an object of this invention to provide an economic construction for stably holding the ends of a headband construction in place when on the head of the user.

A further object of this invention is to provide means allowing for at least limited circumferential adjustment of the headband construction.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent upon review of the subsequent disclosure.

Headband constructions are used in association with a hammock assembly for supporting various head protecting shells on the head of a wearer. For example, head band constructions are used in association with hammock assemblies for the support of hats, caps, welders helmets, goggles, or eye shields on a wearers head. Furthermore, of course, headband constructions are sometimes used for the support of head protecting structure on the head of a wearer, without the intermediary use of a hammock assembly.

In general, the preferred embodiment of this invention is concerned with a flexible strip, one end of which is molded integrally with the stiffening band of a headband construction. The strip in use encircles the ends of the overlapping stiffening band layers and sweat band layers which are adjacent when the headband construction encircles the wearers head. The end of the flexible strip which is opposite that end which is molded integral ly with the stiflening band attaches to the stiffening band by means of a snap and stud, for example, thus holding the stiffening band and sweat band ends together in secured fashion. The stud may also be integrally molded to the stiffening band, thus providing for a very economical construction. In a second embodiment, the flexible strip is formed entirely separate from the stiffening band and attached at both ends to the stiffening band after encircling the adjacent ends of the members which make up the headband construction. However, integral attachment of the flexible band to the stiffening band is the preferred method of construction since it provides for a virtually indestructible design which may be economically formed with a minimum of independent parts.

The invention will now be described with more particularity in relation to the following drawings.

FIGURE 1 shows the preferred embodiment of this invention; FIGURE 2 shows an alternative embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the rear of a helmet with a portion of the helmet cut away to show the novel headband construction; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the overlapping area of the headband construction shown in FIG- URE l as viewed from the inside of the helmet.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGURE 1, shows a headband construction 1 which when worn on the head of the wearer includes overlapping ends 2 and 3 of a stiffening band 4-. Attached to the stiffening band is a sweat band 5 which when in position on the head of the wearer has overlapping ends 6 and '7. The position of the overlapping ends is as shown in FIGURE 1. Integrally attached to the end 2 of the stiffening band is a flexible strip 8 which encircles the overlapping ends of the headband construction and attaches at its end opposite to the end 2 of the stiffening band 4. In FIGURE 1, the attachment of the flexible strip 8 to the end 2 of the stiffening band 4- is shown at one end to be integral, as at 9. This integral attachment as compared for example to a sewn attachment provides for a permanent assembly which is economical to manufacture and is rugged in performance since separation of the sewn area cannot take place. (However, if desired, of course, the end 9 of the flexible strip can be attached in some other manner than integral attachment.)

The end of the flexible strip 9 shown in FIGURE 1 is attached to stud 11 integrally molded to the end 2 of the stiffening band 4. For the purpose of this attachment, the end 10 of the flexible strip is apertured. The stud 11 integrally molded to the end 2 of the stiffening band 4 preferably fits through the aperture in a snap fit so as to hold the flexible strip securely in its encircling position about the ends of the sweat band and stiffening band of the headband construction.

As previously stated, it is preferred that the stud 11 be integrally molded to the end 2 of the stiffening band 4, since such integral attachment is rugged and economic. However, if desired, other methods of attaching the stud 11 to the end 2 of the stiffening band 4 may be employed. And furthermore, other methods of attaching the free end 10 of the flexible strip to the stiffening band than the preferred stud and aperture snapping arrangement shown in FIGURE 1 may be employed without departing from this invention.

The one piece construction described above in relation to FIGURE 1 is preferable, however, since it is simple and rugged, as previously discussed, since the flexible strip 8 and stud 11 are integrally attached to the stiffening band 2 and are thus of the same material. The flexible strip, the stiffening band, and the stud may all be molded at once in the construction of FIGURE 1 resulting in a significant reduction in cost. For a high output item, such as a headband construction, reduction in cost is a significant factor. More importantly, the encircling of the headband construction by the flexible strip in the construction of FIGURE 1 or FIGURE 2 results in a construction which is held together securely without any free ends becoming bedraggled as a result of improper or untidy securement which mars the comfort of the wearer and the protective qualities of the headband construction. As can be clearly seen from FIGURE 1, the encircling strip serves to hold all four members which make up the adjacent ends of the headband construction in place by surrounding said ends, insuring the proper and comfortable positioning of the ends of the members making up the headband construction.

Furthermore, it is highly desirable in the headband constructions used today to provide for circumferential adjustment. The designs shown in FIGURE 1 and FIG- URE 2 allow for such adjustment of stiffening band end 3 with relation to stiffening band end 2, along the associated sweat hands, by the mere telescoping of stiffening band end 3 within stiffening band end 2, without the necessity of unsnapping the flexible strip part or in anyother way dismantling the headband construction.

As can be seen in FIGURE 3 the headband construction is employed to support a head covering member on the head of awearer. The inner surface of the sweat band 6, for example shown in FIGURE 1, lies against the head of the wearer. The stiffening band 4 gives rigidity to the headband construction. The overlapping area of the headband construction 1, shown in detail in FIGURE 1, is shown generally at 13, in FIGURE 3. It can be seen in FIGURE 4 that telescoping circumferential adjustment of the headband construction is possible with the structure shown in FIGURE 1 (or FIG- URE 2), by merely sliding the outer layer 2 of the stiffening band 4 and associated sweat band end 6 about the stiffening band end 3 and sweat band end 7. The encircling flexible strip 8 serves to hold the ends together while such telescoping adjustment is being made. Of course, such telescoping adjustment can only be made within the area defined by the supporting lugs 14 and 15,

which serve to attach the illustrative helmet 16 and hammock assembly 17 to the headband construction.

The alternative headband construction shown in FIG- URE 2 contains the same elements as those described in relation to FIGURE 1. However, in FIGURE 2 the flexible strip 8 is not integrally attached to the stiffening band 4, but rather attaches at both ends, that is ends 18 and 19 to the stud 11. Although the advantages of integral attachment are not present in this embodiment, the most important feature, that is, the feature of having the flexible strip surround the entire headband construction is included with its resulting advantages in the embodiment of FIGURE 2. Where manufacture of the flexible strip and the stiffening band have to be separate, such'as because of separate physical locations of manufacturers, the design of FIGURE 2 may be employed, while still giving the encircling of the headband advantages previously discussed.

The flexible strip, stud and stiffening member shown in FIGURE 1 may be formed of polyethylene, or any other material desired. The sweat band shown in FIG- URE 1 may be formed of supported vinyl, or other desired material. The stiffening band, flexible strip and stud may, for example, be formed in an injection molding operation and then the sweat band sewn or in some other way attached to the stiffening member.

The above description is not meant to limit the invention. Rather, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A headband construction comprising a stiffening band, a sweat band adjacent to said stiffening band, said stiffening band and said sweat band joined along adjacent sides thereof, one end of said joined stiffening band and sweat band being received. between the stiffening band and sweat band of the other end to form overlapping layers of stiffening band and sweat band, one of the stiffening band layers being spaced between the other stiffening band layer and the overlapping layers of the sweat band, a flexible strip molded integral at one end to said other layer of the stiffening band and extending around the one stiffening band layer and the adjoining layers of the sweat band and the said other layer of the stiffening band so as to encircle and thereby support the layers forming the headband construction, a stud molded integral to said outer layer of the stiffening band, said flexible strip, said stud and said stiffening band made of the same material, said flexible strip detachably attached at the end opposite said one end to said stud, said stud and said flexible strip integrally molded to said other layer of the stiffening band at adjacent locations on the stiffening band.

2. A headband construction as claimed in claim 1, said stiffening band, said flexible strip and said stud being formed of polyethylene.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 936,565 10/ 1909 Rosenburg 2322 2,253,816 8/1941 Sherwood 2321 2,487,848 11/ 1949 Bowers 28 2,763,863 9/1956 Bowers 23 3,008,145 11/1961 Austin et al 23 FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner.

J. R. BOLER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A HEADBAND CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A STIFFENING BAND, A SWEAT BAND ADJACENT TO SAID STIFFENING BAND, SAID STIFFENING BAND AND SAID SWEAT BAND JOINED ALONG ADJACENT SIDES THEREOF, ONE END OF SAID JOINED STIFFENING BAND AND SWEAT BAND BEING RECEIVED BETWEEN TTHE STIFFENING BAND AND SWEAT BAND OF THE OTHER END TO FORM OVERLAPPING LAYERS OF STIFFENING BAND AND SWEAT BAND, ONE OF THE STIFFENING BAND LAYERS BEING SPACED BETWEEN THE OTHER STIFFENING BAND LAYER AND THE OVERLAPPING LAYERS OF THE SWEAT BAND, A FLEXIBLE STRIP MOLDED INTEGRAL AT ONE END TO SAID OTHER LAYER OF THE STIFFENING BAND AND EXTENDING AROUND THE ONE STIFFENING BAND LAYER AND THE ADJOINING LAYERS OF THE SWEAT BAND AND THE SAID OTHER LAYER OF THE STIFFENING BAND SO AS TO ENCIRCLE AND THEREBY SUPPORT THE LAYERS FORMING THE HEADBAND CONSTRUCTION, A STUD MOLDED INTEGRAL TO SAID OUTER LAYER OF THE STIFFENING BAND, SAID FLEXIBLE STRIP, SAID STUD AND SAID STIFFENING BAND MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL, SAID FLEXIBLE STRIP DETACHABLY ATTACHED AT THE END OPPOSITE SAID ONE END TO SAID STUD, SAID STUD AND SAID FLEXIBLE STRIP INTEGRALLY MOLDED TO SAID OTHER LAYER OF THE STIFFENING BAND AT ADJACENT LOCATIONS ON THE STIFFENING BAND. 